


"Way Down We Go" by Kaleo

by Faerie_Fable



Category: Trolls (2016), Trolls World Tour (2020), freeform - Fandom
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Awkward Sexual Situations, BAMFs, Bathing/Washing, Blood and Violence, Drug Use, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff and Humor, Genderfluid Character, He is also a shiny mother fucker, I swear I do, Masturbation in Bathroom, Maude is Oblivious, Maude is my baby and i love them, Maude just wants to make the world better, Maude wants to make him Smile, Medicinal Drug Use, Nyx is a Badass, Nyx is a stoic bastard, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Other, Past Abuse, Recreational Drug Use, Sexual Content, Sexual Fantasy, Sexual Tension, Violence, but i like to make my little bitch suffer a little, there is no actual rape/non-con though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24698227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faerie_Fable/pseuds/Faerie_Fable
Summary: Nyx is giant opal troll with a shady past, big fists and a bigger personality to boot who likes drinking in shady bars.Maude is a pop rocker, oblivious to romance and lust, a doctor, and just wants to make the world better for everyone.They meet in a bar and neither of them expected to become friends. (Though, Maude hoped to)(Warnings have been added because in Chapter 3 there's an attempted rape scene, I have updated the rating from Mature to Explicit, due to these changes this story is no longer suitable for minors. This story will not contain any characters from the trolls universe as I don't believe it fits in their "happy" universe)
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. Shine Bright Like An... Opal?

**Author's Note:**

> Nyx is the intellectual property of @FeralTrash (18+) 
> 
> https://twitter.com/FeralTrash?s=09
> 
> This was written due to my love of their beautiful glowing opal troll. He's gorgeous! All their characters are! 
> 
> This was my first time writing for Nyx.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their meeting wasn't written in the stars, but it just seemed fated in hindsight

He'd spotted them sitting at the bar, a tiny little pop troll chatting to a werewolf with wide hand gestures and a beaming smile. "I wanna be the best doctor I can be" he'd heard them announce, moving to kneel on their stool so they could bring themself more to the weretrolls height. 

"Which means I need to be of benefit to all trolls, not just pop, which is why I'm looking at making meds for weretrolls, vampires and other supernatural trolls" the purple troll gushed, swaying on the swivelly stool for a moment before they nearly lost balance, purple cheeks flushed a soft plum purple while the werewolf gripped their shoulder in one of his seemingly giant paws, one brow raised questioningly. 

"I don't plan on making _"cures"_ because frankly, differences are something to be celebrated, instead I plan on making mood stabilizers, allergy and even heat suppressants" they damn near cried, grinning ear to ear, almost bouncing on their wobbling seat. 

"I know my heats without adequate suppressants can be a right bitch to go through, I can only imagine how bad ruts and heats would be for trolls with exceptionally high pheromone receptors and urges" they added, suddenly sounding much more like a doctor, voice taking on an almost professional quality even though there was seven empty cups in front of them. "Not to mention cross supernatural sub-genre relationships" they added, suddenly thoughtful, plopping down onto their stool properly, reaching for one of the cups to hold it up to the light, watching while two drops of whatever they'd been drinking dribbled down the sides.

"From what I've learnt, for trolls in relationships like those, one of the courting processes is biting, biting however means risking cross contamination of the various species which increases the chance for illness among the population which often get misdiagnosed as STDs even though despite similarities they are a different thing entirely" they stated, setting the glass back down, now looking the weretrolls they was talking to directly in their eyes, a small crowd standing around them. 

"These illnesses are caused when two different types of supernatural sub-genre trolls both inject their _"venom"_ into each other in an incorrect dose or with an incompatible type" the pop rocker said, a few trolls now having sidled closer, nodding along with them. 

"My plan is to create a venom suppressor so that partners can bite each other and not have the risk of incompatibility causing illnesses" they stated, grinning triumphantly. Nyx watched curiously, crossing his arms over his chest while the tiny troll answered questions from a few trolls nearby.

He waited until the conversation was over before moving to sit beside the little pop troll, raising his brow while they built what looked like a castle out of their empty cups, stacking them efficiently while they mulled over what to drink next. The little thing glanced at him out the corner of their blue on blue eye and he couldn't help the lazy chuckle when they did a double take, suddenly staring, almost enamored by some of the UV glow on his skin and hair that was barely showing under the weak, almost dead UV lights. "You're very pretty" they announced, breaking their stare at his arm to smile up at his face. 

"And you're very talkative" he replied, tapping the bar, waving at the barkeep who slid him his usual while his new drinking buddy appraised the gentle glow on his skin.

"Oh, sorry, still not.... Er, well" and soon they flushed, suddenly awkward while they stared down at their hands, suddenly clasping them together on the bars surface. Their ears flicked back and down while his own twitched forwards in curiosity, a small tilt to his brow while he leaned just a little closer to the suddenly shy doctor.

"So, what's a little pop troll doing in these parts?" He asked, tipping his head in a nod to the bar tender, long dreads spilling over his shoulder when he leant against the bar, drink lifted to his lips for a lazy sip.

"So, long story short, I got lost looking for a different bar" they admitted, suddenly shy again, shoulders hunched up around their ears which flicked back in embarrassment, one hand rising to tuck some of their dark violet tresses back out of their face, though it fell back only a moment later.

"Well, if you can remember the name of the place I'll help you find it once I've finished my drink" he offered smoothly, voice low and soft, offering the smaller troll some comfort while they relaxed, shooting him a furtive little smile before their eyes were once again drawn to the soft glowing spots on his skin.

"Thank you" they replied, voice earnest and sweet, only to startle when the bartender started stacking their cups correctly so he could take them for washing. The little thing squeaked, nearly falling backwards off their stool if he hadn't reached out and grabbed the back of their leather jacket, stabilizing them once more. They thanked him again, voice high and a little breathless, carefully re-balancing themself on the stool once he let go. "I'm still not used to chairs that move as much as I do" they admitted quietly, once again tucking messy purple hair out of their face only for it to spill back into it's original position as soon as their hand was lowered.

He leant forward, resting his elbows on the bar while he drank, one hand tapping a slow rhythm onto the wooden surface. The tiny purple troll seemed to settle beside him, fidgeting with a zipper on the sleeve of their oddly fitted leather jacket they wore, though they still peeked at his skin, watching his fingers move, the splay of colours and glitter with every single movement he made catching their eye.

"How do you glow?" they blurted, reaching out as if to touch some of his leopard print markings only to pull their hand back as if worried they'd get in trouble for touching. He almost replied, swallowing his drink hastily only for them to launch into some convulated ramblings, tugging on the midriff hem of their jacket, making the studs and metal clips jangle softly.

"Are they tattoos done with a bioluminescent algae? Or are you born with them? Did they happen due to supernatural reasons?" they asked curiously, tilting their head to the side, once again almost reaching out only to yank their tiny little hand back to themself.

He chuckled, voice deep and warm, grabbing their hand to put it on his forearm, letting them touch the lightly glowing speckles. "I'm an Opal troll" he explained, voice rich and smooth, softened into a low rumble only to chuckle again when their hand began to move, yanking his arm closer to themself lightly so they could inspect it better, fingers tracing every speck of glitter and leopard spot, connecting the dots like constellations. 

"You're gorgeous!" they stated, grinning wide and bright, throwing the compliment at him like it was normal conversation before going back to lifting and turning, occasionally twisting his arm to find the spots that glowed brightest, mumbling medical jargon to themself the whole while.


	2. Whiskey And Tattoo Ink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After helping Maude find their way back to the bar they'd been meant to meet their cousin at, Nyx hadn't expected to ever see the little pop rocker again, and definitely not bearing gifts.

"So pop troll, didn' vhink I'd see you 'ere t'night" Nyx mused, smug little smirk lifting the corner of his mouth while he moved to rest against the bar the tiny little Maude was once again sitting at, wobbling side to side on their swivelly stool. His smirk turned amused when they choked on their drink, a hand pinching their nose while they screwed their eyes shut. He ordered his own drink, smoothly sliding into the stool beside them while they got their breathing back under control. 

"Hi Nyx! I actually- . . . " The little pop troll finally announced, voice high and excited and then audibly pouting when they accidentally spun too far and had to use a hand to carefully twist their seat back around to face him. "I came for two reasons, I already fulfilled the first one, but the second one was to see you!" They gushed, completing what they'd begun saying with a bright grin and he could see now that they'd gotten a set of piercings on their bottom lip since he'd last seen them, still a little red and lip swollen. They waved a hand at a poster advertising the opening of their new clinic in Volcano Rock City's poorer district, closer to the eastern beach, before pointing at him, their grin widening from proud to pure happy to see him. 

"Congra'ulations on vha clinic" he said, tipping his chin to them, watching them flush with a slowly widening grin before his drink was set down. He picked it up in his large hand and watched them order the same drink, the glass almost as big as their head. He and the bartender both felt their eyes widen, shooting each other shocked glances when the tiny little pop troll took a sampling sip and then promptly guzzled the rest, tipping the glass back until all the amber liquid was gone. 

"Kinda smoky flavour" they announced, pondering the taste before grinning up at him, not even noticing the sheer disbelief on his face while they reached to the satchel bag beside them. "I have something to show.... And sorta ask you!"

Too stunned from watching the tiny purple troll drink pure whiskey he didn't have the voice to ask them to elaborate, thankfully he didn't need to. He hid the rest of his surprise behind his drink, slowly sipping the spiced whiskey like it were a hot coffee just to keep his mouth from falling open again when the other troll pulled out a small case from their bag, setting it on the bar between them. 

"So after meeting you two months ago I kind of got inspired by all your glow and I sort of did something..." They started, voice a little breathless with excitement before turning hesitant, almost nervous. They popped the clips, opening the little case and nestled inside were little vials, full of glowing liquid in vivid colours that matched his own glowing speckles and hair almost perfectly. "It's tattoo ink made from a bio-luminescent algae from the techno kingdom but it doesn't lose its glow and the colours don't fade so it won't need to be retouched as often as other brands of glowing ink and um... Well-"

He watched them sigh, setting his drink down so he could instead pick up one of the little vials of ink, holding it against the softly growing green spots on his arm to compare the shades. Now that he wasn't staring directly at Maude, they seemed to relax, able to speak a little smoother. "I wanted to ask your permission to name this range of glowing tattoo ink after you, seeing as you're the inspiration behind it" they said bashfully, slouching a little in their seat, kicking their feet anxiously, making their seat pivot side to side again.

"Would that be okay? I can pick a different name for them if you're not comfortable with it"


	3. Cussing Up A Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maude gets cornered on the dancefloor by three creeps and looks for an escape, later Nyx looks for an outlet for his anger and a little payback. A sex worker ends up being their ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: this chapter involves an attempted sexual assault, and mentions of attempted assault, premeditated violence, and light gore

“Come on baby girl, pop trolls love singing don’t they? Be a good girl and sing for us” one of the trolls Maude had been dancing with said, voice loud and rough to be heard over the thumping beat of the club's speaker. Maude paused, freezing slightly in shock, wondering what the hell the other trolls were talking about and looked up at them curiously only to flinch slightly when another troll grabbed their hand, tugging the purple troll against his chest. 

“I’m a really quiet singer but, and I don’t really sing much though” Maude explained, trying to surreptitiously pull their hand back to themself, suddenly anxious but not knowing why. They tried to back up slightly, ending up pressing against the third troll and they apologized for bumping him.

“That’s okay love, there's an alley out back where we can listen to you, nice and quiet” the third one said with the green hair and orange nose they’d bumped into.

“I don't want to sing though,” Maude said, anxiety climbing, dark violet hair puffing up around them as if to try and hide from the trolls now circling them, not understanding why they were so insistent. Maude was starting to question if they wanted something else, that singing was maybe metaphorical and started to wonder what it meant. The blue troll with the nose piercings, who had kept offering them pills earlier, almost pushing them, laughed, his spare hand circling their waist and tugging the pop rocker in against his side. 

“Come on baby girl, come sing for daddy” the leader said, leaning in, mouth opening and Maude realized with a lurch in their gut that he was about to lick their face, panic setting in when they smelt his breath, split tongue almost touching their cheek. All the dots connected and the crushing realization of what the other trolls wanted nearly made the purple troll throw up, stomach churning at the thought.

“I’m going back to my boyfriend” they shouted, twisting quickly, shoulder throbbing with pain moments later as they pulled themself roughly from the other trolls grasps and ducked, weaving and dodging through the dancefloor to try and find Nyx again. They could still hear the other trolls calling them back, yelling pet names at them as if to tempt them back into their slimy hold. Maude's stomach felt queasy, the booze from earlier seeming to dissipate and leave them feeling sick after the realisation of what the other trolls wanted. They covered their mouth with their hand, diving out from the dance floor to look around and spotted Nyx at the bar, all the way on the other side of the club, separated only by pool tables and other trolls drinking and walking around. 

They beelined straight for him, grabbing their leather jacket from the bag check as they passed and began to sprint when they spotted the three guys they’d been dancing with exiting the dance floor, still looking for Maude. “Nyx!” Maude cried, voice high and breathless, tinged with fear, trying to get his attention, grinning with relief as soon as they noticed he spotted the fluffy purple troll, tugging their leather jacket on over their white leotard. They collided with him, pressing their face into his chest while they sagged with relief. “I wanna get outta here” Maude said, grateful they didn't have to shout at the bars end of the club, away from the speakers, and Nyx looked down at the other troll for a moment, brow furrowed. 

Distracted by the obvious worry on Maude's face, Nyx didn't hear the trolls calling to one another that they’d spotted the purple pop troll, but Maude did, eyes widening in sheer fear for a moment before they grabbed at Nyx, one hand tugging on his vest and the other on a handful of dreadlocks, pulling him down to their height while they went up on the tips of their toes. The kiss was rushed, and a little stilted, Maude's lips pressing to his at the wrong angle and their eyes squeezed shut. His hands went to their waist, reflexively grabbing at their sides, but other than that, they both froze in that position. 

While Maude was hoping the three trolls who’d been following them were walking away, keen ears twitching to listen for them, Nyx was frozen because this was not what he’d expected when the other asked to leave, but then he heard it, the trolls that Maude had gone to the dance floor with coming closer, talking quietly about wanting to pull Maude back away from their “boyfriend”. He understood what Maude was up to a moment later when the orange one said something about Maude probably having lied about him being their boyfriend and so he made it believable.

One of his hands around Maude's waist moved, sliding down to cup the purple trolls' ass so he could lift them to his height, tugging them as close as he could while he deepened the kiss, tilting his head to the side.

While Maude had hoped he’d kiss them back after hearing their comments, they weren't prepared for how good the kiss felt and they wrapped a leg around him, letting go of his dreadlocks so they could clutch at his denim vest with both hands as they melted into his hold. The kiss broke as soon as the others had left, Maude instead of asking to be put down, wrapped themself around him more, hugging Nyx as tight as they could with a relieved little sigh. 

“I wanna go back to  _ our  _ bar” Maude said, voice muffled by his shoulder, face pressed into the side of his neck, warm breath fanning across his opalescent skin. “I don't like the crowd here” they admitted even softer, pulling away with a frown, unable to meet his eyes before they bit their lip, shifting in his arms to get down.

Nyx set the usually talkative troll down, turning to pay for and finish his drink quickly, one hand resting soothingly on Maude's shoulder while they looked around, angling themself into his side as if still seeking protection. They didn’t talk as they left not until Maude had zipped up their little leather cropped jacket and the two were half way back to their usual haunt. He was lighting a cigarette when the violet haired troll spoke up, lighter still flared with a small flame when Maude's voice broke the silence around them. 

“I jus’ want’d t’dance, I thought that was all they want’d, it’s all they said they want’d” the pop rocker mumbled, starting to ramble, voice getting a little clearer and louder, only to fall quiet into a mumble again. 

“It’s prob’ly a good thing I turned down th’drugs they was offerin’, who knows what th’pills woulda done t’me or even what they were” and Maude kicked a pebble as they passed it, sending the little stone skittering down the path and onto the road while Nyx listened, storm brewing in his mind, shoulders tensing at the thought of those punks trying to get their hands on his Maude. 

“And then they kept askin’ me t’sing for ‘em, an’ t’go out back with em’ so they could hear me better, and i had t’keep comin’ up with excuses” the smaller troll said, voice rising and he watched them dash forwards to kick a can, sending the empty metal thing clattering down the road and a few trolls looked up, watching Maude for a moment before going back to what they were doing. Maude's breathing turned rough for a few long seconds, narrow shoulders raised up around their flicked back ears and hair puffing up angrily while Nyx fought the urge to go back to the nightclub they’d left, fists itching to break some faces.

“One of em’ want’d me t’call em’ daddy, like fuck, I know I got daddy issues, I’m an orphan, its just psychology, but I ain’t got those sorta daddy issues!” they said, voice lowering to a loud whisper, crossing their arms over their chest, falling back into step beside Nyx, whose hands were clenched tight into fists, fingers digging into his palms so hard he could feel his short, blunt nails leaving marks, eyes promising a bloody and gruesome death if he ever saw those three trolls again. He had to take a few deep breaths, dragging the acrid taste of his smoke into his mouth and lungs to exhale with his nose, a small cloud of grey billowing around him to be carried away on the breeze before he could get his hands to unclench from their fists. 

“They kep’ sayin’ the pills’d just make me feel good, b-but-” Maude cut themself off, and Nyx watched them distract themself from their angry ramblings by picking up the cheezewhip can as they drew closer. He half expected them to smash a window or drop-kick the can, but instead Maude turned despondent, dropping it into a trash bin as they passed before wrapping their leather clad arms around themself protectively. 

“I didn’ even know what t’do when one of em tried t’lick me, he kep’ callin’ me  _ baby girl _ and actin’ like i was saying yes whenever i said no, an’ i was too  _ scared  _ of him to do  **jackshit** ” Maude hissed, voice going low and venomous with self loathing, already starting to blame themself for something the other trolls had tried to do to them. Their blue eyes closed, and they tried to take a deep breath even though they felt like their lungs were trying to burst and collapse at the same time. 

“Why didn’t they listen when I said no?” the shorter troll asked, voice a soft little whisper, words said pleadingly, as if praying to a deity or higher power for the knowledge. Maude's fingers were tight, knuckles white while they gripped their hair, yanking on the violet tresses, pulling them down into their face as if to hide behind their bangs.

“Shitty, sweaty fucking, numbnut, testicle breath, bitchass motherfuckers!” the purple troll cussed a moment later while Nyx froze in shock for a moment, eyes going wide to stare at Maude, only for his surprise to melt into worry when the shorter troll sagged, seeming to finally collapse into themself afterwards, hair going limp down their back. they suddenly looked even smaller before they turned, tucking themself under one of his arms just as he went to flick his finished cigarette into the nearby bin. The ash sprinkled down around their feet, tip breaking off the cigarette to fall slowly to the ground while Maude looked up at him, the butt landed somewhere next to the bin after bouncing off the lip.

“I’m sorry I dragged you int'it by pretendin’ ye’re m’boyfriend, an’ for kissin’ ya without'cha permission” they said, voice cracking slightly, thick and miserable while their blue eyes looked up at him apologetically, almost begging him to forgive them.

"S'all righ' love, vhey're vhe ones vha' need t'say sorry, no' you" he said, the arm around Maude's thin shoulders squeezing lightly, hand brushing up and down their upper arm soothingly and his thumb stroking the leather sleeve of their jacket. They melted into his side, sagging with relief, limp, lifeless hair seeming to fill up with energy again while they buried their face in his vest. 

They made it back to the bar they’d originally met at with no other issues, and spent the rest of the evening in drinking contests and trying to best each other at card games. Nothing eventful happened until they were walking back to the party district, heading to the bus stop that would take them to Maude's apartment when Nyx spotted three trolls leaving a club and heading for another one. He looked down and to the side, checking to see if Maude had spotted their three would-be assaulters, but the pop rocker was trying a card trick he’d shown them, fingers flicking at an imaginary card repeatedly as if to try and practice. 

“Ah shite, I left sumvhing at vhe bar, I’ll mee’cha back a’ yours love” he said, ushering the distracted troll onto the bus, barely reacting when Maude gave him a puzzled little grin that turned impish and playful, but before the purple troll could say anything the bus doors closed and the driver sped off, taking Maude closer to the stadium. He watched them go, intently staring at the bus until it was long gone and out of sight before smirking darkly. He turned and strode towards the nightclub the three hooligans had entered, cracking his knuckles as soon as he was enveloped in the hard rock music. He stalked through the throngs of dancing bodies, avoiding the areas with blacklights and UV bars to keep from drawing extra attention to himself before he spotted the bar.    
  


He chose a dark section to sit at, out of the way and away from prying eyes, but close enough to a call girl that he could tap her shoulder as soon as she’d turned down a wannabe client, gaining her attention. She turned in her seat, ready to snap at him, probably expecting someone else or perhaps just something else, but instead her expression turned from pissed to intrigued then flickered straight to interested.    
  


“What can I do for a handsome troll like you?” she asked with a purr, smoothly sliding out of her seat to press enticingly against him, one hand tracing up his abs between the open lapels of his vest. “Now you, I'd happily give a discount to” she offered sweetly, eyes sultry, smirking when he did.

“Don’ worry bou’ vhat, I got a differen’ type of job for ya” he offered, pulling some cash and a joint, rolled thick and tightly packed, from his pocket. “Vheres a group of trolls ovher on vhe dance floor, I need ‘em ou’ in vhe alley so I can have a good long chat to em, but I don’ wan’ em knowin’ I’m here” he said, deep voice rumbling, caught somewhere between a growl and a purr.

“Which ones?” she asked, turning around, still pressed close but now to his side, acting like arm candy so she could peruse the crowd of jumping, moshing trolls before them.

“Vhose ones over vhere, harassin’ that lil orange pop troll” he said, immediately able to point out the three, spotting them faster than he’d anticipated. Her eyes narrowed, taking in their rough, almost dirty appearances, sniffing disdainfully at the sight of them.

“I can have ‘em out in the alley with you in five minutes” she said, readying herself to slink away, already adjusting her bust with a wicked little glint in her eyes. “I’m guessing they aint friends of yours, so, do they owe ya money or did they do something wrong?” she asked, almost distracted, wanting to go over and get that little pop troll away from them sooner.    
  


“Vhis isn’ tha firs’ pop troll vhey’ve gone after tonigh” was all he said, handing her the wad of cash, tucking the joint down between her ample tits playfully with a smirk that she returned before strutting away. He watched long enough to see the way she smoothly slid herself between the punks and the pop troll, distracting them quickly and maneuvering the little orange troll away with an ease that almost surprised him. 

He pulled out his cigarette case, flicking his lighter on and off repeatedly while he loped towards the side door that led out into the alley behind the club. He slipped out unnoticed and moved to lounge against some packing crates, cigarette between his lips and slowly lit it, puffing while he waited. The lady was right, just as he finished his smoke, flicking it to the ground just as five minutes passed the door opened again. He crossed his arms, grinning ferally when he heard the faked giggles of his new “friend”, enticing the three trolls out in front of her. They filed out, one at a time, too distracted at first to notice him, not until she didn’t come out, but yelled for them to have fun before the door slammed shut and locked, removing almost all chance of escape for them.

It took them a moment to recognise him, staring at him dumbfoundedly at first before realising where they’d seen him before. He waited for them to make the first move… or he would have, if they hadn’t started talking about Maude. For some reason it was the smallest of the three trolls, a ruddy, ugly orange colour that stepped forward first, smirking up at him while they licked their lips, talking about the way the “little purple slut” had felt, stumbling on the dance floor, pressed against him, so soft and sweet,  _ so breakable _ .

His fist connecting with the side of their head shut them up quickly, their pierced ear splitting and tearing slightly, blood gushing down the side of the dumbasses face while they sagged against the wall. After that, it was just a blur of activity, the other two jumping into the fight, but they were sloppy, too uncoordinated and just generally too intoxicated. And they were panicking, stumbling into one another, tripping one another up and Nyx thrived on the scent of their fear, barely feeling the sting of his knuckles getting split open on their jawbones, he relished in it, revelled in the violence, even going so far as to let them get a few cheap hits in just to make it last longer. He took them down one at a time, saving the leader with his forked, pierced tongue for last, laughing at the look of fear on their face when they realised it was just them now.

He broke him slowly, exposing weaknesses and exploiting them one at a time and when the final blow was dealt, he stood in a ring of carnage, grinning to himself, hands shaking with adrenaline, fingers twitching inwards as if to clench his hands into fists again despite the lack of opponents. It took three smokes to slow down, chain smoking them in quick succession without pause, flicking the still smoking butts towards the groaning bodies at his feet while he leaned against a dumpster, debating whether or not to put them in it. 

Nyx ended up leaving them where they were after going through their pockets, keeping anything of value but drugs and cash were all they had on them. He pocketed it easily, stuffing them into his vest and pants pockets quickly before ripping one of the shirts. He used the impromptu rag to wipe at his hands and face, trying to scrub any blood away while he began heading towards the exit from the alley. He barely noticed, and didn't care at all, when blood slowly welled to the surface of his knuckles, the sting not even registering in his mind while he started planning the trip back to Maude’s apartment. He dropped the rag as he went, heading back towards the bus stop he’d dropped Maude off at, humming a tune Maude had gotten stuck in his head weeks before with a grin. 

It was only once he’d arrived at Maude's apartment, after knocking on their door and seeing the split skin, scabs and congealed blood with bruised knuckles that he remembered his hands might give what he’d done away. 

It turned out he didn’t need to worry though, because as soon as Maude spotted him, they greeted him with a grin that sang pure joy that quickly morphed into worry when they spotted the bloodied knuckles on both his hands. “Oh my hair, Nyx, did your hands get caught in the bus doors?” Maude asked, reaching out to tug on his wrists, carefully avoiding touching where they assumed he was hurting and he moved with them, letting the little pop rocker pull him into their tiny but massive apartment, door clicking closed behind them while Maude led the way to the lounge, directing him to sit so they could get some ice packs and a first aid kit.


	4. Vices and Misplaced(?) Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyx and Maude are both going through withdrawals and Nyx is starting to notice the physical attraction he has for the doctor is getting harder to ignore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a masturbation scene in this one, don't like, don't read.
> 
> Because Nyx isn't my character my characterization of him is likely skewed or off, i know he's meant to be a lot more stoic and suave than i could ever write him. . . Please keep in mind i also suck at writing British accents.

There'd been no sign of a storm when he'd snuck off the farm, not that he needed to sneak, it was his after all, but Thicket wasn't too fond of him spending time with a doctor and Hue had started teasing. He'd headed towards Volcano Rock City to go have drinks with the usually cheerful little doctor, the purple pop rocker Maude. But when the storm hit, it hit hard, gale force winds blowing and lightning splitting the sky, thunder so loud the windows along the street looked like they were rattling. There was no way he'd make it back to the farm, not with the weather like this and low-key, he was grateful when Maude offered to let him stay with them, the two sprinting through the pelting rain from the little bar they'd met at back towards the stadium. 

It was still confusing, stepping into the brightly coloured trolls abode to find the apartment almost bare, always expecting to see more furniture or decor around the tiny little living area, though this time the confusion was because of the pile of energy drink cans, empty and crushed, spilling from the overflowing bin and the clutter of mess all over the little kitchenette bench. 

He turned from the kitchenette to the pop rocker, stripping his jacket away to hand to them when they asked for it and realised that in the bar it had been too dark to make out the purple trolls features, but after the lights turned on in the apartment he could see the bags under Maude's eyes, the deep shadows that looked almost like bruising. Maude, despite their jittery energy and constant chatter all evening, looked exhausted, like it would take only a pillow to knock them down, and he found himself wondering when they'd slept last. He checked his jacket pockets before handing it over and then worriedly checked the back pocket of his galaxy printed pants, groaning when he realised that even that was empty.

"Ah' left me cigs' at vhe bar, I'll hafta' pick some up t'morrow" he said, voice breaking through the silence only to be drowned out by a clap of thunder that had the smaller troll seeming to shrink in on themself, arms wrapping tight around their stomach in a self hug. 

They looked up at him, his jacket folded over their arms, "I can ask my next door neighbour if she has any" they offered, and now that they weren't yelling over the hustle and bustle of a bar or the storm, he could hear the way their voice croaked just slightly.

"Nah, s'all righ' Maude, I'll jus' get some tuh'morrow" he said, shrugging nonchalantly, chewing his lip in thought when the purple troll hung his jacket by the door and scarpered off to the bathroom to grab a towel for him. "Been on a bit if a bender 'ere Darlin?" He called, looking back at the kitchenette, curiosity eating at him whilst trying to distract himself from the headache he'd been fighting the last few days that could be felt creeping back in, made worse by the lack of nicotine or pot in his system.

"Got the months mixed up and started studying for an exam" Maude mumbled, glowering down at the floor almost hatefully while unfolding a towel as they came out of their bathroom, another towel wrapped around their hair. His eyebrows went up and his jaw fell down when he saw the little pop rocker, stripped out of the outfit they'd been wearing earlier, in nothing but a red binder and some black and red lace-trimmed stockings connected to a tiny little garter belt around their waist and a thong to match. The towel they had been unfolding soon obscured them from view and he had to shake his head, trying to shake the memory out while trying to will something else back down. He turned away while taking the towel, patting and rubbing his dreadlocks dry and tried to focus on what the other troll was talking about.

But his head was starting to throb and the noise outside was drowning Maude's quiet little voice out and he groaned, wincing in pain until a hand rested on his back. "Are you okay?" Maude asked, putting themself in his line of sight, worrying at their lip, big blue eyes beseechingly staring into his amber and fuschia ones.

"Jus' a headache and cravings luv, I'll be fine" he said, trying to ease their worry, turning away again so he wouldn't be tempted to look further down. 

"I think I have some painkillers" Maude gasped, hand rubbing soothingly against his back for a moment before the smaller troll rushed away, prattling to themself about measuring dosages and what goes into making the different painkillers. He almost asked them to stop, frustration and pain going hand in hand to shorten his tolerance before a purple hand was held out in front of him, two small pills sitting on the soft palm. "I don't have enough to give you a full dose for a troll your size, but this'll at least take the edge off" Maude said, and he could see their hand shaking. He took the pills, not bothering with the glass of water that was being offered until he'd already swallowed them. 

"Wha's wif' ye' shakes?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at the other troll, still patting his dreads dry with the towel that would have been big on Maude but was average on him.

"Caffeine withdrawals" they stated simply, shrugging as if this were a regular occurrence but not meeting his eyes, looking almost ashamed of their little self. "You should sit down while you wait for the pills to kick in" Maude advised, stepping closer, one of their hands barely wrapping around one of his wrists, the other reaching for his shoulder but only patting his upper arm. He followed, still using the towel to keep from looking at them, still thrown back by what they'd been wearing under the jeans and oversized shirt. He sat with a huff, wrapping the towel loosely around his dreads so he could rest his face in his hands, elbows digging into his knees. 

Maude had scuttled off to the kitchenette, leaving him to relax while they tidied and he looked up slowly, watching while they weren't looking at him as they moved about the kitchen. There was a bow on the back of the thong he realised, groaning a little while he closed his eyes, one hand snapping up to his vest pocket only to groan even louder when he remembered he'd smoked his emergency stash of weed earlier on his way to the bar. He was grumbling to himself when Maude sat beside him, warm little body pressed to his side, one hand rubbing at his back soothingly. 

"What's wrong?

"Fuckin' smoked m'weed already" he stated, shaking his head at himself. 

"Weed?" Maude mumbled, more to themself than at him and when he looked sideways at them he could see the gears in their sharp mind moving along with their lips, mouthing words that lead to… "CANNABIS!" Maude cried, leaping from their spot beside him, all that anxious, shaking energy finally put to use only for both trolls to wince. Him from the loud noise and them when they realised they'd caused him pain, hands clapping over their mouth while they looked at him worriedly. 

"I'm so sorry Nyx" they whispered through their fingers, then hurriedly continued, voice still hushed and soft, "I think I have something that will help, you need to get undressed". 

And then Maude was gone, climbing over him and then the lounge to rush towards the bathroom and he staggered to his feet, wondering what the fuck was going on in Maudes head because that was not what he was expecting. He had to ignore the hopeful twitch in his pants as he meandered over to the bathroom, pausing in the door because Maude was bent over, head under the sink, that little bow on the back of their underwear fluttering with every sway of their ass before they reeled back. He had to swallow down the urge to say something about the bow, to ask if he was allowed to untie it because Maude was looking up at him excitedly from where the little tease was kneeling on the floor, proudly holding up a plastic cling wrapped ball like a trophy.

He raised a brow, crossing his arms to lean against the door frame while Maude clambered to their feet with a shaky grin, setting the ball in his hands before spinning around, moving to the shower that doubled as a big bathtub, big enough that he could lay down comfortably. 

"So wat's wif' th'ball?" He asked, voice gruffer than intended, speaking over the water and pointedly refusing to look at Maude's ass again. He focused instead on the ball, tossing and catching it in one hand.

"It's a bathbomb" Maude said, once again apologising for the noise.

"No’ really a troll for baf-bombs" he admitted, rolling his eyes while he reached to put in on the little vanity. 

"It's infused with cannabis Nyx!" Maude said, rushing over to him, taking the ball from his outstretched hand and beginning to unwrap it. "I bought it ages ago because I remembered you talking about the stuff, but then I opened it, and it stank so bad! So fucking bad!" The little troll explained, scrunching their nose up in disgust after sniffing the ball again. They held it up to him, shaking it under his nose as if daring him to take a whiff. He took a deep breath, inhaling the exceptionally powerful aroma with a dawning grin, already trying to take the ball back from them. "So I kind of wrapped it back up and shoved it under there and I keep forgetting to give it to you to give to your friend Ficket but I guess that's a good thing because it's here when you apparently needed it!" Maude exclaimed, letting him take the ball. 

"Vhey used vhe good stuff in it" he purred, once again breathing it in, scratching at the surface of the bath-bomb with his nail and watched as more of the infusion was revealed, smell getting even stronger with every light scrape. Fuck, he was actually excited about using a bath-bomb. 

"That smells good to you?" The purple troll asked, voice a blend of incredulousness and disgust, nose once again scrunched up with a glare at the offending ball in his hands before they turned, shaking their head to turn the taps off, bending to check the water. "All those cigarettes have destroyed your sense of smell" the small troll announced, bouncing back around to face him, gesturing him towards the bathtub. 

"Not my sense of taste vhough, it's good enuff to have picked you as a friend" he retorted smoothly, watching them flush an almost plum colour right up to the tips of their flicked back ears, bashful smile across their face before they rushed out of the bathroom, closing the door behind themself. "Score one for Nyx" he announced into the silent room, one hand undoing his pants and sliding down the galaxy printed clothing while his other hand dropped the ball into the steaming water. The results were instant, water frothing around the ball, turning the liquid bright blues and purples with streaks of glitter and black, almost identical to his pants and the smell exploded, almost making his head spin like he'd just ripped six large cones and a couple of joints all at once. 

"Oh shi’ yeah, vhey really used vhe good stuff" he muttered, already ripping his pants and vest off so he could lower himself into the hot water, wiggling his toes as he laid back against the built in shower seat at the deep end. 

"My bed might be a tad small but it's still a lot bigger than the lounge, so help yourself to it when you're done, I'll hopefully already be asleep" Maude called through the closed door and he hummed something affirmative loudly, letting them know he'd heard. He waited until he heard the bedroom door close before reaching down, wrapping a hand around his length with a small hiss of breath between his clenched teeth, trying to keep quiet. He tried not to picture the purple troll in the other room, trying to be gentlemanly, but it was  _ so hard _ , especially when he'd gotten the image of that cute little bow above their ass crack, the black stockings on their legs with the red lace, an almost perfect little love-heart shaped rear when they'd been bent over, stuck in his head. 

He gritted his teeth together, a rumbling purr in his throat that was nearly a growl when he began to stroke, the water slick and almost oily, making the slide of his hand even smoother, but relaxed like this, he kept it slow, dragging it out and revelled in the self pleasure while he imagined those strong legs wrapped around his waist or hips, a soft voice crying out his name is pleasure. He didn't know how long he was there, but it must have been a while because there was a timid knock on the bathroom door, a sweet but nervous voice calling his name softly from the other side. He sat up, trying to control his breathing, hoping to hair he hadn't been too loud and cleared his throat, "wha’ is i’ luv?" He almost winced at the growl in his throat, how low and husky his voice was, and hoped Maude would just blame it on the pot.

"Is it… is it true that cannabis can help with withdrawals and insomnia?" Maude questioned, and now that he listened carefully he could hear the exhaustion, near desperation in their voice. His erection under the still hot water began to flag for a moment while he confirmed that it was true. "Can I join you?" They asked, voice going breathless and sweet, length suddenly thickening under the water again while he looked down, glaring at where it was through the foamy water, checking the water was deep and the bath-bombs foam thick enough to hide what was happening underneath, trying to remind himself this was the real Maude, not the very realistically  _ but improbably _ imagined one from only moments ago. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his head of the mental images he'd been using, reminding himself that this Maude didn't recognise when he was flirting with them, they only blushed because they weren't used to compliments and smiled at him the way they did because they were so happy to have a friend who never asked them to stop talking. 

"Yeah, come in Maude, waters still warm" he called, surreptitiously readjusting some of the foam so it was even thicker above his length which was refusing to go down now, twitching almost hopefully. He tried to smile comfortably when the door creaked open, feigning relaxedness, but it quickly turned to genuine worry when Maude shuffled into the room and the first thing he noticed was just how rundown the pop rocker looked, absolutely haggard, exhaustion deep down into their bones. He opened his arms without thinking, offering the shorter troll comfort even when they shook their head, purple hair no longer fluffy and pointing everywhere but hanging limp and dull down their back. Their little kitten-like nose was scrunched up against the smell, but they still closed the door, locking the weed infused fumes in with the two trolls and he pointedly looked away when they finished unclipping their already loosened binder, bending to pull their stockings off after unclipping them from the garter belt. 

He pulled his legs up to his chest, to make room for Maude in the bigger-than-he-expected tub, wondering in the back of his mind if this apartment was originally built for one of those gigantic metal trolls. He'd ask later. He blinked in shock though, sliding forward in the bath when Maude asked him to scoot forward slightly only for understanding to dawn when they sat behind him on the little shower bench, one of their soft hands resting on his head, guiding him to lean back against their open thighs. He found himself purring again when soft fingers began to adjust his dreads, gently tugging them up out of the water, wringing them dry without pulling on his scalp before coiling them one by one atop his head, using two spare ones to tie a loose knot around them, creating a bun. The purr got even louder when their hands moved, a set of fingers gently massaging into the undercut on one side of his head, the other set teasingly rubbing the rounded tip of his other ear, smoothing inwards to trace around his piercing. 

He swallowed thickly, trying to ignore what their voice was doing to him when they practically moaned, "this feels so good" against the shell of his untouched ear, warmly pressing a kiss to the tip after, right before beginning to hum softly. He sat, stewing in silence that seemed to drag on forever, trying to keep his hands to himself but also away from his dick that was throbbing angrily under the hot water. He had to bite back a groan when he felt breasts against the back of his neck, the other troll having leaned down just that little bit more, legs spreading to make space for his broad shoulders. He sat up a little straighter without realising, perhaps not wanting them to slouch forward and hurt their back subconsciously. He glared spitefully at the water, trying to glare at the erection that just wouldn't go away, achingly hard under the water until he realised something.

Maude had stopped humming, sometime ago their hands had slowly lowered to his shoulders, resting peacefully on his multicoloured, sparkling skin and he could just make out the weight of their head resting atop his dreads, using them as a pillow. "Maude? Y'awake doll?" He asked, voice a low murmur and all he got in response was a small snore, barely audible even in the now silent bathroom. He shifted, concentrating so his dreads would untie themselves from the bun to support Maude's lightweight even when he stood, stepping out of the bath so he could reach back into where they sat, gently shifting their small body into his arms. The only reaction was the purple troll curling into his chest, nose pressing against his skin while one of their hands clutched weakly at some of his dreads. 

Carrying them to their bed was easy, laying them down was trickier, especially when the purple troll moaned his name softly, binder falling open and he saw the piercings through each nipple, little silver bars with red gems on the tips. He groaned, gently easing his hair from loose fingers before throwing the blanket over the shorter troll so he could rush back to the bathroom. He hid inside, locking the door so he couldn't be interrupted and leant against the vanity, glaring at the mirror too foggy and dripping with condensed steam to see his reflection. He rested his forehead against the glass, supporting his weight with one hand on the countertop while he took his length with the other. The slick, almost oily moisture from the bath-bomb clung to his skin, making even his rough, too-tight grip feel smooth and he grit his teeth and began to pump. He pictured almost-lavender skin and dark violet hair, a gorgeous, breathless mess bouncing on his lap and he imagined fucking them in their bathtub. He wondered how sensitive their tits were, thighs clenching and beginning to tremble with the effort to stay upright while he thrust into his tight fist as he imagined wrapping his lips around one of their nipples, teeth and tongue teasing at the piercing through it.

He turned, leaning his back against the vanity, sliding down to sit on the floor, able to feel the liquid fire bursting in his veins as lust pooled deep and hot in his core, settling low and seeming to spread while his balls tightened. With his weight supported by the vanity his other hand was now free, roughly dragging his fingers down his chest just for the added sensation, pinpricks appearing behind his eyelids from how tight his eyes were screwed shut while he pictured Maudes hands wrapped around him, maybe their tits pressed tight together so he could fuck between them, their tongue teasing and tasting the head with every thrust. He could almost feel their dark blue on light blue eyes, heated and passionate, that same daring glint, playful and challenging him to cum the exact same way they teased him at drinking contests. He panted for breath roughly, blinking his eyes open to glare at the ceiling right before he screwed them shut again, cumming just from the memory of how they moaned his name only minutes ago. 

His thrusts turned erratic, every twitch and spurt of his length seeming to send the pleasure higher until he snarled, gritting his teeth tight and clenching his jaw to keep from growling their name while his hips pumped frantically into his fist, other hand cupped around the head to contain the mess until he finished, slumping back against the cabinet. He huffed and puffed, stars bursting behind his eyes while he tried to catch his breath, hands loose and dripping with his own jizz around his still twitching but flagging length. It took ages to come down from the high, blinking sweat from his eyes. He looked sideways at the bath, empty but still discoloured, foam and oil from the bathbomb clinging to the old porcelain before he looked down at himself. "Le's kill two birds wif’ one stone" he mumbled to himself, wiggling his toes to see if he could still feel his legs before standing and staggering over to the bathtub, reaching with his less messy hand for the taps to the shower. 

"I need to get laid, find someone I can fuck to get vhese vhoughts of Maude outta my fucking head" he muttered, voice low while he stepped under the spray of the water, lowering the showerhead to his shoulder height, dreads lifting themselves out of the waters path to keep dry while he scrubbed sweat and cum from himself and then the remains from the bathbomb off the sides of the tub around him. "Fucking hair" he cursed under his breath, not for the first time wondering when his attraction to the other troll had turned to " **_this",_ ** though to be fair, this was the first time the thoughts had ever gone this far, this wild, and he blamed their underwear. He'd never thought a chest-binder could be sexy but the purple troll had to prove him wrong, making him picture soft, his-handful-sized-breasts contained in the binders tight grip, hugged tight until they were damn near invisible only to burst out to greet him as soon as the clips were undone. He glared down at his length, "don' you fucking dare ge’ hard again" he whispered, watching and feeling his length twitch half-heartedly before hanging limp as if to say it was too spent to even try.

"Vhey don't need me lustin after 'em like vhis" he whispered to himself, turning the water lukewarm and lowering the pressure. "Maude only wants a friend, an' if I can't be vhat, vhen I should walk the fuck away" he decided, nodding to himself determinedly, trying not to let himself picture Maude hanging out at that bar they'd met in, looking for him hopefully, chatterboxing excitedly to anyone who would listen before realising no one was interested, tuning them and what they were saying out, leaving them with that sad look on their face he'd spotted once after another troll  **had** walked away after telling Maude he'd stopped listening as soon as he realised the little pop troll wouldn't sleep with him. He didn't want to see that look on Maude's face again, that crushed, defeated look, the sad little grin, forced and fake and  **_breaking_ ** , almost as if the pop rocker was used to that sort of rejection. He had long suspected they were, a warm little smile lifting his own lips up when he remembered the way Maude would pause mid rants sometimes, ready to apologise for talking so much, only for him to ask a question about what they were talking about or to point out something about whatever they'd said. He could still see and hear their sheer excitement when he'd shown that he not only tolerated Maude talking at him, but was listening to their excited ramblings. 

But Maude wasn't just a chatterbox, they were a listener too and he chuckled, scrubbing soapy water onto his face while he remembered the time, after he and they had declared a draw on a drinking contest, when Maude had stood on their stool, excitedly rambling about some information they'd uncovered in some medical journals in Vibe city, medical journals they'd only sought out because of him. He'd once told them about his favourite ways to use weed, and the little pop troll had studied for three days during their last trip to vibe city just so they could learn more about the thing Nyx was interested in. Or the time he'd mentioned Thicket, talked about a friend who liked cupcakes, and the next time he'd seen Maude they had a recipe book for hundreds of different cupcakes, little notes in the margins written by themself explaining how to best incorporate cannabis into the recipe. He still couldn't help the little chuckle, nearly snorting some of the soap when he realised Maude still called Thicket "Ficket" because he'd never corrected them after only ever hearing her name said with his cockney accent.

He needed to get this lust out of his system so he could go back to being friends with oblivious little Maude, the ball of sunshine who just wanted to make other trolls' lives better. So with a newfound resolve he finished scrubbing, once again checking for any remaining bath-bomb residue before drying off and pulling his pants on so he could go sleep on that barely-big-enough bed with his friend.


	5. Clusterfuck Of Shittery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maudes clinic got burned down... with them still inside. Now, they need to get revenge but to do that, they need help, and to let all the trolls of Volcano Rock City think they're dead.
> 
> Nyx finally learns about Maude's more cunning and malicious side.

Maude's arm was still hanging limp by their side when they entered the bar, white medical coat torn and hanging from their shoulders, pushing the door open with their less damaged shoulder, blackened hair obscuring their face, but not the scent of blood and tears picked up by the noses of the were-trolls who frequented the establishment, sniffing at the air and eying them suspiciously. The bartender, a giant dark red glitter troll was the one that realised who it was, eyes widening in horror at the sight of tiny Maude trying to climb into their usual stool at the bar, almost slipping multiple times when they tried to put weight on their left arm. “Anything strong” Maude pleaded, still not showing their face, black bangs leaving it shadowed while they struggled into their seat. It took the bartender a few moments to realise Maude had spoken, still in shock, he reacted on autopilot, reaching for the bottle on the top shelf, and filled a glass with its contents. 

Maude downed it like it was water, whimpering when the alcohol burned their split lip but didn't stop until the glass was empty, setting it down hastily, and while their throat still burned and their eyes stung with tears they set their arm against the bar, locked between the beer taps and twisted their whole torso, shoving the joint back into place with a sickening crunch that had them screaming in pain through gritted teeth and tears splashing against the top of the bar. They swayed in their seat, biting back sobs and struggling to keep upright while the bartender rummaged under the bar for the first aid kit he’d put there years ago but never used, almost panicking.

The two were-bears who usually sat in the corner became agitated, wanting nothing more than to confront little Maude and find out what had happened, but the smell of their blood was too tantalisingly sweet, making them hungry,setting off their hunter instincts and bloodlust. They upped and left, a couple other weres leaving at the same time, fur spreading and fangs enlarged, hair bristling with barely kept rage at the sight and smell of  _ their  _ doctor so badly hurt. 

It was as they left, standing outside the bar, talking to one another in voices that were low and full of snarls that Nyx arrived, pausing at the sight of the four were-trolls blocking the doorway and the small drops of blood that lead inside, the handprint on the door frame sticking out like a sore thumb. He could barely make out what was being said over the sounds of their snarls and growls, but he heard the name Maude and stepped closer, opal pupils almost glowing under the uv light of the sign by the door, all his markings lighting up while his dreadlocks twitched, almost like tentacles or fingers reaching out for something. 

“Where's Maude?” he asked, voice low and guttural, growling as fiercely as they were and they paused, one of them calming just enough to shake their head.

“Inside mate, but the little thing reeks of blood” they said, voice gruff, clawed fingers twitching towards the door, obviously struggling to keep from leaning towards the bloodied handprint to sniff its sweet aroma. “Smells real sweet” he crooned, one of his mates grabbing his pointed ear and tugging him away before he could change his mind and go back inside. 

The tall opal troll watched the four leave, tossing his dreadlocks over his shoulder and as he stepped up to the door he smelled it too, the soft, almost too sweet but addictive smell of watermelon and bloody copper and  _ fuuuuuuuck…  _ He groaned, shaking his head to try and push the smell from his mind but opening the door just meant he was accosted to the full bodied scent, fresh and thick on the air, sticking to his tongue when he licked his lips. He almost didn't spot them, barely able to recognise them without their purple hair and wearing that little white medical coat, tattered, torn, hanging off their frame like it was barely holding onto them and covered in blood. He didn't need to look around to see the way every troll in the bar was staring at Maude, he could hear them licking their lips and feel the tension in the air, so thick he felt like he could cut it with a knife. 

Maude didn’t hear him come in, too busy staring at the wooden grain of the benchtop, cradling their aching arm to their chest, their good hand rubbing at their swollen shoulder. A half drunk glass of something clear that smelt like straight turps sat in front of them and when a hand rested on the bar just in their line of sight, someone standing half behind them, Maude flinched, not recognising it in their hazy state. Their hand flung out to slap Nyx’s away, a short, sharp gasp of fear and pain the only noise Maude's abused throat could make before he was caging them in, one arm wrapping around them to keep them from falling off their stool in their panicked thrashing. 

He found himself on his arse though, both arms wrapped around the struggling troll that had used their feet to kick off the bar, knocking them both to the ground, the stool fell to the ground beside them with a bang as it hit the dirty floor. He rolled, pinning the colourless troll beneath him, pressing himself down onto them while they shrieked and thrashed, squirming in his arms while he wrapped his dreadlocks around their limbs to help hold them still. They settled sooner than he expected them to, exhausted gasps for breath all he could hear over the roar of his blood in his veins, rage exploding and growing with every bruise and cut he uncovered while he moved their hair out of the way. The look in his eyes must have been terrifying because Maude closed their only open eye, turning away from him as if ashamed of themself, seeming to shrink under his furious gaze. His anger felt like ice, slowing everything in his mind and focusing it to this moment, hyperfocused on every wound he uncovered.

There were messy stitches along the right underside of their jaw, still glistening with fresh blood, skin red and tender. Their right eye was blackened, bruises swelling it closed, blood crusting along the seam and he had to grip their chin between his thumb and forefinger carefully tilting Maude’s face back to him. They refused to open their still functional eye, squirming beneath him and all he wanted right then was to kill whoever had done this, make them suffer and pay, give them every injury they’d given the little doctor he’d been calling a friend for over six months. 

“Who. Did. Vhis?” he asked, voice low and gravelly, rumbling out of his chest while ice settled in his blood, so angry he was calm. 

He lifted himself slowly off them, dreadlocks still wrapped around their smaller body like bondage to keep them from flailing or getting up and  _ running, _ keeping them still so he could check for more injuries even though Maude had probably already done it themself. His anger melted into worry when Maude didn’t move, even the rise and fall of their chest had slowed until it was damn near impossible to see if they were breathing even when his fingers grazed along what must have been a bad sprain on their wrist. Maude refused to answer, biting their split lip which must have  _ stung _ , the wound reopening and a small trickle of blood leaking from it, and fresh like that the smell grew, that overpowering scent of something sweet that made him think of fruit and bubblegum. They didn’t move until his fingers grazed over the burns on their palms, blistered, red marks that still smelled like they were cooking, flesh raw and tender looking. Their fingers twitched, a whimper in their throat while their hands pulled away as far as his dreadlocks wrapped around them would allow, but they refused to talk, blinking their dark grey eye up at him with a blankness that sent chills down his spine. 

“Gotta ge’ ya back to vha clinic or your place, you’re in a room full of weretrolls an’ smellin’ like a tas’y trea”, he grumbled, sitting back, legs on either side of them, still surrounding them protectively. Though the moment the words finished leaving his throat Maude was thrashing once more, twisting and squirming to get away, with little noises that sounded like animalistic hisses.

“No! They aren’t safe places, I came here for a reason” Maude gasped, pulling on their shoulder wrong, the bruised tendons and socket flaring with pain that had them gritting their blunt teeth while tears stung their one good eye, unable to meet Nyx’s beautifully mismatched two. 

Ledger, the bartender was the first to speak up after that, blurting out that there was a basement level, access through the alley outside and Nyx scooped the small troll up into his arms, dreadlocks loosening their tight hold around aching limbs. Keys were slapped into his hand and he was off, Maude clinging with burnt fingers to his denim vest as if to distract themself from the dizzying movement. 

The basement was dark, but it was hidden, the door hidden between two dumpsters, almost invisible from all the grime and filth, but that was perfect. Exactly what the two trolls needed. While Nyx tried to inspect for hidden dangers, shooing spiders and other critters out, Maude stood on wobbling legs by the door, knees locked to carry their light weight and arms wrapped around their torso as if to hold themself together, shock wearing off. They reached out, sensitive fingertips grazing against the rough bricks of the basement wall, sending zings and tingles of pain from the texture up their arm to their brain, forcefully grounding themself in that moment before splaying out their hand against the cold surface, fingers spread and palm flat, beginning to shake head to toe again.

“Vhere’s a baf’room bu’ vha’s abou’ it” Nyx said, opening the only door that didn’t lead back up to the alley, voice cutting through the too-much silence and Maude focused on it and him, staring with their eye too wide, pupil pinprick small but widening the longer they stared at him. “Shoul’ ge’ ya cleaned up” he muttered, tilting his head back towards the door he’d just come through and they nodded jerkily, tangled black hair once again covering their face when they ducked their head and moved to scurry past him into the bathroom. The door couldn’t close fast enough but once it did; Maude shattered, breaking apart in the shower, lukewarm water cascading down on them and turning red with their blood while they sat on the cracked bottom. The tiles were cold and hard but did little to ground the purple troll, water stinging their wounds and despite it all, Maudes' mind wandered, stuck in a memory loop where the memories got worse each playthrough until they were a sobbing wreck on the floor.

Maude couldn't hear when Nyx knocked on the door, the tall opal troll banging the butt of his fist against the old but thick and heavy wood, calling their name in his cockney accent, other hand trying to turn the locked door handle to no avail. They sat in the bottom of the shower, water steadily getting clearer every minute and once the breakdown was over and done with, ragged gasps for air between choked off sobs softening into near silence again, they stood, leaning against the tiled walls to scrub their shaking hands over their body, unknowing that their friend had been knocking on the door at all. 

Upon realising that the door wouldn't be opened Nyx began to look for something to do, pushing crates aside and poking through the dusty boxes when he heard a noise at the door, spinning around, grabbing a crowbar he’d found and gripping it tight in his fists which were still itching to break faces. It was dark red glitter that made him relax, recognising the bartender almost as soon as he saw their hand poking through the door with a first aid kit clutched in his fist, followed by the rest of him a moment later, door clicking closed behind him after he threw himself down the flight of stairs. 

“Bars closed, there’s some fucked up news on the radio” he said, shoving the kit at Nyx before beginning to move crates, boxes and trunks around, shoving them away from himself until he found a camping cot folded up, mattress protected by a dusty plastic bag, and some blankets found in another trunk. 

“The fucking clinic was burnt down, they’re saying it was arson, firecrews are still working to kill the fucking blaze” he said in a rush, voice hushed after realising Maude was in the bathroom, running hands through his hair when they weren’t busy tearing boxes apart to try and set the place up. Nyx set the crowbar aside, moving forwards to start setting up the cot, unfolding the frame and putting it in a corner closer to the outdated hot water system where it would be warmest while listening to the angered and panicked rambling and ranting of the usually gentle giant who ran the bar upstairs. “Witnesses said they saw Maude running out of the clinic to try and stop the attack but got nearly killed and then  _ dragged _ in and  _ locked inside _ before the arsonists set the place on fire” Ledger whispered, shooting furtive glances at the bathroom door while he moved the boxes and crates, stacking them up along the wall, reaching the ceiling and blocking one of the windows that looked out to the dark street. 

With a sudden lurch of understanding the equally tall Nyx dropped the bedding, abandoning that job to start blocking the little windows, to try and make sure no one walking past would see light coming from the previously abandoned basement. “Five trolls handed themselves into the authorities, admitted to the murder and arson, said they was paid” Ledger said, shoving the last box in place, both the windows blocked off as best they could be. “Apparently there’s a hunt for Purple, bounty hunters are lookin’ to make sure they didn’t get out o’ the fire and t’ finish the job if they find them alive, there’s a lotta money on Purples head man, a lotta money, and no one knows who’s payin” he said in a rush, looking around the dank room with a worried frown, fidgeting before throwing himself towards the corner the cot was half set up in, pulling the mattress from the plastic wrapping as hastily as he could, shaking any dust off the mattress before looking through some trunks that weren’t stacked yet for sheets to protect it.

“I know who’s paying” came a quiet voice before Nyx could ask anything, Maude standing in the bathroom doorway, still dripping wet, hair clinging to their back and neck, still in their leotard. He paused, looking them up and down, looking for injuries on the usually energetic troll. “It’s why I can’t go home, it’s the first place they’ll look for me” Maude said, stepping slowly out of the bathroom towards the half made bed, limping slightly due to burns on their legs, wounds disfiguring their skin from the knees down as if they’d been kneeling on something blistering hot. They slumped to sit on it, head in their hands and elbows just above their knees while they released a shuddering breath. Their voice when they spoke up next was muffled, becoming slurred towards the end, “all o’this just ’cause I wan’ed t’inroduce public healthcare t’VRC again”. They couldn’t say anything else, voice trailing off into a weak whisper before they slumped, tiny body collapsing forwards off the cot with a wet  **thump** to the dirty cement floor before either of the trolls in the room could catch them. Despite being further away, Nyx reached them first, quickly scooping the small troll up off the cold floor to hold them against his chest, not caring about the cold or wet seeping into his denim vest or galaxy print pants while Ledger resumed making the bed, not quite so rushed now that Maude was passed out and being held.

_**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~** _

Maude slept like they were in a coma for nearly 12 hours, some of the smaller bruises already starting to show signs of fading by the time they groaned, rolling onto their side only to fall off the cot in their haste to get off the arm that still burned with pain. “Ow, fuckfuck,  _ fuck _ , ow” they moaned, sitting cross legged with their bad arm cradled across their chest. “Oh, shit, fuck, I need coffee” the little terror whispered, black hair puffed up and tangled everywhere, a mess of darkness half obscuring the small troll while they tried to figure out where they were. The usual “just woke up” grogginess slowly turned to genuine confusion while they stared at the room that looked like a dungeon, only to groan when the memories of the day before came flooding back in, starting off as a slow trickle and quickly becoming overwhelming.They struggled to their feet, throwing themself into pacing the basement, bare feet kicking up motes of dust into the stale air that smelt of mold and mildew while they tried to plan, tried to think of what to do. The pop rockers mind couldn’t focus though, thoughts jumping sporadically between memories, facts and inconsistent plans that all contradicted one another.

Everything paused in their mind when they heard the door opening though, someone coming through from the alley above and Maude’s eyes darted around for anything they could use. They ended up with the crowbar in their good hand, back pressed to the bathroom door, ready to flee into the other room if the trolls entering were hostile and for a moment Maude panicked when they recognised the voices, the synapsis in their mind firing too fast and connecting the dots wrong, confusing Nyx and Ledgers voices for the ones of the trolls that had tried to kill them. It took a while of staring at the two trolls coming down the stairs for Maude's mind to catch up to reality, hand shaking, crowbar falling to the cement with a clang and then a clatter as it bounced on the hard ground before going still. The two trolls on the stairs were staring, Ledger looking relieved to see Maude out of bed and moving, while Nyx calmly appraised them, gold and fuschia eyes roving over their trembling form before taking in the terror and relief at war on their face. 

He set the box he was carrying down as soon as he’d gotten to the bottom of the stairs, calmly walking towards the suddenly defensive smaller troll, big hands outstretched, palms up and watched Maude swallow, big grey singular eye taking in the sight of his hands, their back pressing harder to the door and he slowed down. “I’s jus’ me, Maude” he whispered, voice low, deeper than usual and he watched as those terrified grey eyes looked up, moving from his hands to his shoulders, taking in the studded lapels of his denim, teal coloured vest and then up to his face. They seemed to relax, mumbling his eye colours to themself and then he found himself with his arms full of the smaller troll, rambling about memories of him as if trying to superimpose them over the memories assaulting their mind. 

“Hey Purple, y’hungry?” Ledger spoke up, setting down his box of supplies next to the box Nyx had been carrying, another troll stooping through the door, shoving two boxes through with his feet. Nyx closed his arms around Maude’s shoulders, wrapping himself around them protectively then turned, spinning them around in his arms while he did so the troll in the ruined leotard could look at Gritt and Ledger, the giant weretroll glaring around the tiny basement, having to slouch to fit under the ceiling while Ledger dug through a bag that had been hanging off one of his glittery red arms. “I got takeout, there’s also packets of noodles and some snacky things, I don’t know how long you’ll need to lay low for so I got a few days worth” he said, holding up the large container of spicy curried rice, not looking at the pop rocker who seemed to shrink away from the spicy food.    
  
The giant blue were-bear sneered, voice a low snarl as he carried the two boxes he’d pushed through the door over to the cot, dumping them down on the ground. “I ain’t sticking ‘round to clean” he said, glaring at Ledger and Nyx, then down at Maude, though his glare at the little doctor was a touch less prickly or hateful than he usually spared them. “When ye wanna go for the throats of the trolls that done this to ya, let me know”, he growled, blue and black hair bristling, his scarred face contorting into a feral smirk that made Maude shiver. He turned and left before anyone could say anything, pulling the basement door shut quietly behind himself after bashing his head with a yelp on the door frame. 

While Nyx watched impassively, still wrapped around Maude, tucking them in against his front they giggled softly, a startled little sound in the back of their throat like Maude hadn’t expected to be amused by Gritts show of clumsiness. It had the other two relaxing a little, tenseness in their shoulders evaporating at the realisation that Maude was still themself enough to giggle at Gritts misfortune. Ledger spoke up, holding out the bag of food and snacks, the pungent aroma of curry mixing with the mold and mildew smell in the basement, “so, here’s the food, i’m gonna go, I need to go make sure shit at the bar isn’t going to shit and do the opening shift”. He handed the food to Maude, dropping the handle of the plastic bag around their wrist when they reached out to take it from him and then he was running up the stairs, two at a time to throw himself out into the alley, door slamming shut behind him. 

“I don’t like curry?” Maude whispered, holding the bag out and away from themself, sounding confused before tilting their head back, looking up at the opal troll still supporting their weight. “Do you like spicy food?” they asked, their single grey eye that could open blinking up at Nyx, flicking between his two mismatched eyes hopefully. He unwrapped one arm from them, sliding his fingers along their outstretched arm so he could hook one under the strap of the bag handle, lifting it from their wrist.

“No’ real hungry righ’ now” he admitted, gently nudging the shorter troll forward so he could walk them back over to the cot, bending so he could rest his chin on their soft hair. “Fin’lly me’ ya cousin Synf” he stated, trying to keep his tone light, “she dropped a bag o’your cloves ya lef’ a’ hers to vha bar”. He pushed forwards with dreads and hands until Maude sat on the cot, looking up at him again. 

“Were there any datapads!?” They asked, leaping straight to their feet and rushing towards the four packages the taller trolls had been carrying inside and Nyx, perplexed, watched them almost dive into searching through them. He walked over, leaning against the railing of the stairs that lead up out of the basement, using one foot to nudge the box he’d been carrying closer to Maude. They immediately dug into it, rummaging and shoving things to the side, muttering something to themself too low for even his ears to pick up. 

“Ah yea’ i fink she said vhere was a few?” he muttered back, head tilted to the side, arms crossing over his barrel chest.

The greyed pop rocker held two up with a cry of victory, a manic gleam to their eye, small splodges of colour appearing on their face and in their hair like streaks of paint, bright against the dull canvas they’d become. They hummed a tune under their breath, one he recognised from the time Maude had done karaoke at a kpop bar, off key, a little too low, and a slight growl in their usually soft voice. He smirked, watching them bounce to their feet, pacing back and forth, switching between the datapads with an efficiency that would have startled someone who hadn’t spent time with Maude. 

“Fuck yes! cool! Cool, coolcoolcool” they mumbled to themself, grinning wider, flicking through streams of data and old messages, opening new ones on the other so they could compare information then spun, looking up at Nyx with a grin that was all sharp teeth and feral. “I’m gonna fuck their shit up fer what they did t’me, fuck them an’ their fucking wallets” they snarled, pausing for a moment to look down at the datapads in the hands half way through, something dark and twisted passing over the tiny trolls face for a few brief moments. 

Distracted as Maude was after that, they didn’t see the startled quirk to Nyx’s brow or the way he uncrossed his arms, moving forwards to sit next to them on the bed, kicking the box closer so it was half slid under the flimsy cot. They looked up, grey blue eye peering at where he’d been standing and then looked around for him, reaching out with one hand to fist in his vest as soon as they’d realised he was next to them. “I can get back at ‘em Nyx, I can fuck their empire an’ bring ‘em crashin down harder than they ever could me” they announced, sliding one of the datapads onto his lap before holding up the other, pictures of a long abandoned building on the screen. “I’m gonna burn these fuckers and they’ll never see it comin” they smirked, voice going low, purring the words like it was a sinful promise. 

“The wankstains that wan’ me dead are all CEO’s of some health insurance companies cause ‘bout twen’y years ‘go they got this “brilliant” idea to privatise e’rythin’ cause it sounded pretty rock right? Nah, rock sold out and didn’t even know, everyone suffered while the rich got richer, most o’the hospitals got shut down cause too many rockers can’ afford healthcare so my clinic got real popular real fas” they rambled, flicking through photos and messages, pinning them with taps to the corners of the screen, minimising and enlarging other ones with effortless flicks of their fingers that were steadily getting more bright. “So rock sold out, went private in jus’ ‘bout ev’ry way but! Then the world tour happened, turns out it was the CEO’s wanting more money ‘cause they’d bled VRC dry right? Right! So they got this crazy idea to privatise all the troll kingdoms, but shit hit the fan an’ their plan fell apart because the queen ended up changin’ her mind, then i came and i fucked up  _ even more _ of their plans with my little social experiment” they said, voice a soft hiss, too excited to be a whisper.

“I set up my lil clinic in the poores’ neighb’rhood, nice and close to the factories and a public school that was having  **mass** dropouts due to immunisations costin’ families way too fuckin’ much, parents were losin’ work ‘cause they had t’stay home, so I put my clinic in right with them an’ gave their kids free needles, school picked up, parents returned t’work, whole neighborhood picked right the fuck back up” and Maude got to their feet, pacing back and forth, waving the little datapad around, screen turned off temporarily, their viscious little smirk getting deeper and darker the longer they spoke. In their flurry of excitement they didn’t notice Nyx crossing one of his legs over his lap, leaning back to watch with a slowly dawning grin. “I proved to the whole gov’rnmen’ that health should be public, they voted last nigh’ while i was being set on fire and it’s been approved, any troll on an income b’low a certain threshol’ will get free healthcare an’ concessions for the next group, private for ONLY those tha’ can afford it”   
  
“And yest’rday I got approval to move my clinic into one of the old abandoned hospitals, none of this has been announced publicly yet so i’m gonna fuck their shit up Nyx, i’m gonna tear the rug out from under their feet” they said, rushing the words even while they rushed over to the cot, climbing onto his lap while he quickly uncrossed his legs again, dropping the datapad beside him, lips pressing heatedly to his for a moment in their excitement but then Maude was smirking at him like it had never happened, already chatterboxing again while his hands moved to their waist, fingers grazing against their leotard covered sides, thumb brushing against their skin through a rip. “An’ cause they think I’m dead I can do this without ‘em ever noticin’ until it’s too fuckin’ late” they said, practically purring the words, leaning closer as if they were going to kiss him once more, but instead they grinned impishly at their friend, unknowing of the tension building between the two of them. Maude squirmed off his lap, hips swaying as they danced around the grungy basement to a tune they hummed loudly, smirk still devilish and full of mischief but beginning to turn into a thoughtful expression, dancing and humming slowing down to match. 

“I’ve got a lot t’plan, an’ I’m not gonna be able t’leave t’do anythin’ ‘cause there’s prob’ly a price on my head, I can’ go home because m’apartments probably bein’ watched so I should get cleanin’ cause I don’ know how long I’m gonna be here and I needa do  _ somethin _ ’ with my hands while I think” they rambled, twisting their purple hands together for a moment before starting to look around, cracking their neck and knuckles with a stretch before arching their back, bending backwards until they looked at Nyx, upside down from across the room. They grinned at him again, slowly standing back up like they hadn’t just bent themself in half like a slinky and turned, hands on their hips. “While moving stuff ‘round didja see any cleaning supplies?” they asked, looking around the room inquisitively. 

“We ended up ge’ing some while we were ou” he said, pushing himself off the cot that was big enough for the giant metal troll Maude called cousin, still a little perplexed that Maude was related to her and moved forwards, ruffling their hair affectionately as he passed, going through one of the boxes Gritt had carried. He pulled out the telescopic handle of a broom, lengthening the tool out until it was long enough for him before digging for the head while Maude dropped to their aching knees to go through the box as well, digging through it excitedly like it was a toy box and they were a trolling. They held the broom head up above their head with one hand, pulling out another handle with the other and while Nyx took the head with a muttered thanks and screwed it on, they looked for the other head, but only found mop heads.    
  
“I’ll clean the bathroom,” Maude said, shrugging as they put the mop away, instead pulling out whatever they thought they’d need for the bathroom. Loading their arms up, ignoring with ease the pain in their shoulder they’d dislocated and fixed the night before by distracting them self with work. Their ability to hyperfixate meant that what felt like five minutes of work actually turned out to be four hours, bathroom almost glittering despite what must have been years of grime and revealed a washing machine that had been covered with a tarp. In their excitement at finding that little mechanical miracle Maude had stripped their ripped leotard away, shoving it into the machine before reattaching the hoses so they could test its functionality. It wasn’t until they were stuck waiting for the machine to finish that Maude remembered their wounds, body starting to ache, flaring up now that they weren’t hyperfocused on whatever they could clean and the purple troll groaned, good arm cradling their previously dislocated arm to their chest again, shoulder still swollen and darkened with bruising that looked inflamed.

The half healed burns, skin already pulled taut and itching incessantly, pulled and stung with every step as they forced themself to walk out into the main room of the basement, hurrying as fast as their aching body would allow for the cot, wanting to look through the box Nyx had pushed half under it. “Please tell me she packed pain killers, please tell me she packed painkillers, please tell me- YES, she packed the good shit” Maude whispered to themself, biting their pierced lip as they struggled with the cap of the pill bottle, grumbling about it being “Maude Proofed” not “Trolling Proofed”. Purple hair puffed up suddenly with shock when a strong hand enclosed around their own, applying pressure just right and twisting, muscles along the arm rippling and bunching with the movement and the lid popped open with ease. 

“Thanks Nyx” the little doctor chirped, flashing a toothy grin at the handsome Opal troll with a laugh, tipping two of the tiny little pills onto their hand before popping them straight into their mouth without water, swallowing them dry with practiced ease. “I found a washing machine in the bathroom!” they said ecstatically, trying to distract themself from the pain, now stuck waiting for the painkillers to kick in, though they yawned a moment later, flopping to sit on the cot. “Five minutes of cleaning has kicked my proverbial ass” they said with a giggle, looking up at Nyx with a grin, blue eyes brighter and warmer than usual despite the dull lighting of the basement.    
  
“Ehh, closer t’four ‘ours love” Nyx stated, moving to sit beside them, lounging back to relax against the wall, casually looking sideways at the pop rocker, multi coloured eyes flicking from their legs up their body, checking their injuries, ignoring their near nudity as best he could though it was easier when Maude sat up, looking at him in shock. 

“Nah, ya jokin’, can’ be four flippin’ hours Nyx” Maude said with a chuckle, pierced brow raised at him playfully, nudging him in the side with their elbow only to squeak, good hand moving to their shoulder when it twinged with pain.

He gestured to the room he’d spent the last four hours cleaning, floors swept and two bags full of trash already. “It ‘as been” he stated, turning to grin at Maude again, watching them look around dumbfoundedly. He leaned to the side, draping one of his arms around petite shoulders to gently tug them in against his side. He’d expected them to lean into the hold, but of course, Maude had to throw his expectations out the window again, twisting slightly, one leg throwing itself up and over his lap so they could straddle him, sitting on his knees. With his arm around their shoulders still he ended up with the purple troll laying on him. Their head rested on his upper abdomen and he ran his hand up and down their back, fingers brushing almost as light as a feather over their soft skin. “Y’know I was gonna go f’r a smoke righ?” he asked lightly, pretending to tease while he licked his lips that were tingling with the phantom touch of the kiss from earlier again. 

There was a low groan from the smaller troll, lifting their head from its place to glare balefully at him. “Five minutes?” they begged, resting their chin on his gut, nibbling on one of the piercings through their bottom lip with puppy eyes directed at him expertly. “An’ then I’ll go check th’washing machine an’ have a shower” Maude offered, tapping their fingers against his chest, lightly brushing up the line of his thorax and back down to rest on the cot beside him, picking at the lumpy sheets just for the texture against their fingertips. 

“Fine” he muttered back, voice a low, playful growl that had the other troll flushing but still smirking at him like the cat that got the cream. He tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling so he wouldn’t be stuck staring at the soft but battered and bruised features of the troll lounging on him like he was a giant teddy bear, which was an amusing mental image to say the least. “So, any foughts on y’current plans for while you’re pr’endin’ t’be dead?” he asked, accent a little more pronounced than usual, trying to distract himself from the bundle of warmth laying atop him by talking about something he didn’t necessarily  _ want _ to talk about just then.

“Oh plenty” Maude mumbled, laying their head down, resting their stitched cheek against his skin, almost purring at the comforting warmth of his body but continued talking instead, adding in a softly slurred voice, “I’ll need t’talk t’Synth ‘fore I can start doin’ ‘nything, but ‘least til then I can do prep work on th’datapads”. They could feel his chuckle vibrating through them when they moved their good arm, reaching blindly for the datapad that had been left on the cot, searching for it among the sheets with another yawn. “S’prob’ly a good thing no one knows me’n’Synth are rel’ted” the pop rocker mused, the slur in their voice getting worse every time they tried to open their mouth. They couldn’t help the squeak in their throat, startling when the dreadlocked troll sat up, arm around their narrow shoulders moving so his hand could rest against Maude's back, thumb brushing against their spine.    
  
“Time for a shower ya’ naugh’y fing” he said, not wanting them to fall asleep yet, looking forward to his cigarette too much, a playful lilt to his voice before he stood, Maude’s legs wrapping around his waist and face burying in his chest almost instinctively, though with how much time they spent together, it was more than likely habit. Their legs may have been strong, but the pop rock troll was also exhausted, two days of hell catching up to them with a vengeance, legs only able to scrabble up around his hips, loosely holding on while they muttered something. 

“Didn’ catch vha y’cheeky bugger” he said with a chuckle, turning the shower taps on once he reached the bathroom, nodding appreciatively at how much cleaner it was than it had been the night before. 

“Good” Maude snarled vehemently, tilting their head up to glower at him before burying their face in his chest again to muffle more muttering and savour the arms around them while they could. “What if y’shower wit’me? I don’ wanna stop cuddlin” They suggested, trying to bargain, voice a low whine and fingers clutching weakly at the lapels of his vest, trying to keep him from putting them down. 

“Hmmmn nah, y’er on y’er own Maude” he said with a chuckle, only pretending to contemplate it for a moment, easily detangling himself from the cling-on while they pouted and he gently dropped them into the shower with a grin when they glared up at him, that pout just getting deeper. He started the water before they could say anything, cold on full blast so the purple troll yelped, back going straight and whole body rigid before trying to throw themself out of the cold spray, his hand already ready for them and pushing them back in with a throaty little chuckle and a wink before he took his other hand off the taps. Maude immediately turned the hot water tap on, pressing themself into a corner to avoid as much of the freezing water as possible, shivering head to toe while they waited for the water to warm up.

“You’re. A. Cunt” the purple troll hissed at him, lips pulled back and expression feral, their slightly larger and sharper canines on display while he shook his head, interstellar coloured dreads rustling, their trinkets clinking together slightly while he leaned away from Maude trying to splash water out of the open shower at him. “Go find a Gritt sized fist dildo and fuck yourself without lube” the smaller troll deadpanned after realising he was amused by their displays of anger.

He snorted, shooting an amused look at Maude, shaking his head again, arms crossing slowly over his chest after dodging another splash. “Vha’ was a crea’ive one, where’d y’learn vha’ one?” he asked, smirking when Maude pouted at his lack of reaction. 

“You suck” 

“Nev’r ‘eard any complain’s” he deadpanned back with a cheeky grin, leaning slightly towards the smaller troll, almost bending down to their height while they flushed, suddenly sputtering and choking up, hands covering their bruised and stitched up face. “I win” he announced, all cheek and satisfaction, brow flicking up at them for a moment while their ears flicked back, hissing like a cat at him once more before turning their back on him, undoing the front clasp on their strapless bra, letting it fall before dropping their underwear to the floor to join the top half   
  
“Fine, go away” they said, grumbling the words out with an audible pout in their voice, bending to pick their underwear up off the base of the shower, mumbling something under their breath while he started to turn away, still shaking his head bemusedly, though his eyes were still on them, the gold and fuschia irises trained on their spine.    
  
“I’ll grab y’towel and shi” he said, voice smooth, eyes roving over their form, spotting the bruises and marks that had been hidden by their leotard earlier and then by their hair, licking his lip when his eyes were drawn to the soft curves of their hips, fingers itching with the want to grab them. But he finished turning and walked out, heading to the box from Synths place, digging through it for a towel and anything else the giant, horned metal troll had packed that might be helpful. He ended up just picking up the whole box and dumping it in the bathroom, the only things removed was the towel that he hung over the top of the shower so Maude could reach it and a bar of soap that he slipped through the still open gap in the door before heading out of the basement to go have a smoke in the alley. 

They waited until they heard the click of the doors closing to pick up the soap, sighing a breath of relief as the tension between them dissipated with the sudden distance even though Maude couldn’t figure out the reason for the tension. The injuries stung when the soap got into them, but they needed to be cleaned so Maude made sure to do it properly, though they still rushed, wanting it over and done with ASAP so they could focus on other things. 

Like relaxing.

The soap bubbles hadn’t finished draining before Maude turned the water pressure down and the heat up, angling the shower head to the side so they could lean against the cracked tiles under the hot spray of the water with a breathy little sigh of pleasure as it heated the piercings through their nipples, sending thrills of pleasure racing up and down their spine almost straight away. They tipped their head back, another little breathless noise building in their throat but unable to escape through their bitten lip as they caressed a hand down between their breasts, fingers brushing over the soft skin of the valley and down over the muscled and soft planes of their stomach before reaching the small thatch of trimmed curls below, between their muscular thighs which were already trembling faintly.

They quickly glanced to the side, checking the door was closed through hazy eyes, Maude’s breaths got a little heavier but still quiet enough to be drowned out by the sound of the shower and they gently teased a finger through their dark violet curls, easing it between the soft folds to rub against the sensitive flesh around their clit, brushing teasingly over the hood and then circling it roughly while they lifted their other hand to their mouth, biting down on their fingers to try and muffle the little noises rising in their throat. The pain in their shoulder started to change, the crossed over wires in Maude’s brain lighting up like lightning, sending pleasure coursing through their whole system and every twinge that should have been pain was converted into ecstasy. The hot water hitting their skin felt just like hands, caressing down over their overstimulated erogenous zones and sending sparks and fireworks burning through their every nerve until Maude was already close with just a few light touches, head thrashing side to side, trying to ground themself with the feel of the smooth tiles against their back, the cold of the ceramic at stark contrast with the heat of the water on their front. 

The pressure in Maude's body kept building, escalating with every touch and they climbed closer and closer to that pinnacle, gnawing on their fingers and lip, piercings clicking against their teeth every time they sucked their lower lip into their mouth and even that did nothing to slow down their quickly encroaching climax. Thoughts came unbidden to Maude’s mind, purple troll picturing large hands, hot and  _ everywhere _ , sparkling with a combination of glitter and opalescent hues on dark skin, remembering the way his hand had felt on the small of their back earlier, but also that kiss they shared at the nightclub months ago, his hands cupping and lifting them by their arse, fingers squeezing and digging in just right and Maude’s lips tingled with warmth at the memory of what he’d tasted like, half way through his drink so it flavoured the kiss with the smoky, burning taste of whiskey mixed with the crisp sweetness of cola. 

They nearly came then with a soft squeak, nibbling on one of their lip piercings in an attempt to muffle their voice while two fingers pressed inside themself, palm roughly pressing and then rubbing against the hood of their clit while their spare hand dropped to their chest, thumb stroking against one of the barbels through their nipples. When they came their mouth fell open in a breathless, silent scream of pleasure, choking on the steamy air at the thought of him walking in and calling them a “cheeky thing” in that handsome accent of his with a growl in the back of his throat, rumbling out of his muscled chest while he pressed against them in the shower, imagining they were able to feel the vibrations through his chest.    
  
Their climax crashed through them like a battering ram, knocking all the air from their lungs while setting off a cascade of sensations that left them shivering from the intensity, mind blacking in and out of focus every few moments while they shook apart against the tiles. Their knees must have given out some time ago as they were slumped to the floor of the shower when they started becoming self aware again. They blinked dazedly, world still spinning around them while they reached up for the taps blindly, turning the heat down as soon as they found the right knob, sitting in the lukewarm rain of water for a few moments while they tried to reorient their disoriented mind, still reeling over the appearance of another troll in their fantasies when they were used to just picturing someone faceless and formless at most, usually perfectly fine to just feel the sensations without any other stimuli. “Oh  _ fuck me _ ” Maude whispered, head in their hands, mind finally catching up with them and a small moment of panic setting in. 

“I have a crush on Nyx” they realised, whispering it to themself with a whine in their soft voice, officially done with everything and everyone, staring at their hands in horror.

They stood too quickly, head spinning as all the blood in their body started rushing again, heart pumping too hard and too fast while they reached for the soap once more, needing to remove all evidence of what they’d done from themself. A litany of cusses echoed in their mind, flushing at the thought of Nyx ever looking at them the way he had in their imagination, all heated and like he wanted to devour them, and just that thought had them heating up again and they quickly scrubbed the bar of soap over themself as rough as they could to combat it, grumbling to themself under their breath that this wasn’t the right time for their ace ass to have a crisis like this.

“I can’ even” they hissed, spitting the words like venom while they rubbed soap against their face and hair, getting it in their stitches and their eye that was still swollen shut, setting their face on fire with something other than a blush. “I’m a mature adult an’ I have an empire t’crush an’ a world t’change, I can' let this distrac’ me” they tried to remind themself, words rushed and almost jumbled in their haste to remind themself that this really,  _ really  _ wasn't the right time.

They didn’t rinse until there was soap stinging every wound on their body and face, until their hair was a mess of bubbles so thick no purple showed anymore. They dried in the shower, pulling the towel down from where it was hanging as soon as the water was turned off and only once they were dry did they step out of the shower, dropping the towel to the floor to stand on it while they dug through the crate like box, looking for clothes and underwear in the box Nyx had left in the bathroom for Maude. They didn’t let themself dwell on the thoughts of Nyx, instead forced themself to go back to planning their comeback, hyper-fixating on the task that was going to determine the future of medical care in all Volcano Rock City. 

They pounced on the two datapads as soon as they were out of the bathroom, sitting in the middle of the room, notepads and pens from the box Synth had packed for them littering the floor, spread out around them like the debri of a tornado, scribbling notes and dot points every few seconds even as they sent messages to Synth and some of the doctors in Vibe City, bringing them into the equation. They flinched, looking up when the door opened, reaching for the crowbar nearby until they realised it was Nyx, a bottle of whiskey in each hand and some glasses held in his dreadlocks, smelling like cannabis and tobacco, but also that scent that was all him, unique and something Maude couldn’t name but always made them relax and they grinned up at him from where they sat on the floor, head tilted to the side. 

“So… I got m’plan sorted, I even got some players on m’side o’th’board” they said, hands gesturing to the organised chaos around them with a smirk that was impish and mischievous, accepting a glass with a little nod of gratitude when Nyx offered, holding it out in one of his dreads. “I’m gonna need t’stay dead f’r a month though, at minimum” they added, holding their glass up while Nyx poured the whiskey, smirking back down at them before moving to lounge on the floor, leaning his back against the frame of the cot. They clinked their glasses together and Maude dived into telling him the plan, step by step, smirking dark and wicked the whole time in a way that was so different to their usual sweet and almost innocent grins.

They sat there, drinking and talking well into the evening.

Maude’s words slurring halfway through the first giant bottle of whiskey, still somehow focused enough to tell him about their plan to use a private investigator to collect dirt on their attackers, to get evidence on who hired them while offering them protection from their original employers all while using Synth as the holder of their will and estate to organise the new hospital in secret and carry messages to the three members of the Rock Council Maude had an in with. It was intricate and a little insane, but then Maude had explained that this really was the best way to go about it from a legal standing point, they should know, they’re technically a lawyer, they have the certificates back at pop village to prove it. That piece of knowledge had been a bit a mind fuck, perplexing the opal troll Maude was busy cuddling into the side of with a little purr in their throat while trying to reach for the bottle without alerting him. He moved it though with a little chuckle, holding it up just out of their reach and instead of being deterred they grinned, all sleepily clumsy with sweet giggles as they climbed onto his lap. 

They passed out like that, reaching for the bottle in his hand with quieting little chortles, half laid on his chest and lap before their head dropped, exhaustion from earlier kicking back in, helped along by the alcohol.

_**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~** _

Waking up the next day was disorienting, a piece of paper stuck to their forehead with something sticky, blocking the dark dungeon like basement from their vision while a voice called out to them from the other side of the room with a laugh. They sat up and wished they hadn’t, bladder suddenly making itself known, cramps flaring up all through Maude's abdomen and they tore the paper from their face and sprinted for the bathroom with a harried shout of hello at their cousin.They could still hear Synths laughter over the toilet flushing and through the heavy bathroom door, only to get even louder when they came back out of the bathroom, mouth dry and kind of fluffy feeling, wondering if there was any chewing gum anywhere. “Awwww, how long have you and  _ Mr. Tall Dark & Handsome _ been dating?” Synth asked, sitting on the cot with the piece of paper in her clawed hands, head tilted to the side while her blue on pink eyes roamed the sheet with a giddy grin.

“What? No, we’re not dating! Why would you think that?” Maude sputtered after a double and then a triple take, squinting at their cousin, feet sticking to the clean floors, refusing to get any closer to their cousin. “And what the fuck have you got?” They asked, gesturing with one hand, the other on their cocked hip, staring incredulously at the giant, horned metal troll they were somehow related to.

Synth ignored just about everything else Maude said, instead zeroing in on the fact that the two trolls weren’t dating, her grin brightening, “So he’s single then? Because he’s cute and I’d love-”   
  
“No! no sleepin’ with anotha’ of m’friends!” Maude begged, rushing forward to try and tackle their cousin who just put her giant, clawed foot out, pressing it into Maude's chest so the other couldn’t get any closer. “An’ I  _ really  _ don’ wanna know whatchu were gonna finish that sentence with!” the doctor shouted, trying to take a swipe at the older, taller troll lady, even going so far as to search through their hair for the surgical scalpels that sometimes lived there, forgetting they’d used them all escaping the clinic. They covered their ears, flicking them back when Synth opened her prettily painted lips with a smirk to start telling Maude all her plans for their “sexy” friend, easily drowned out by the pop rockers shouts of “LALALALA I can’ fuckin’ hear ya” at the top of their lungs, dissolving into shrieks of laighter when the metal head dropped her foot and let her tiny cousin crash into her chest. “Halp! I can’t breath! Your tits are tryna smother me! Halp!” Maude jokingly yelled, trying to pull their head out of Synth’s bosom where the other was hugging them tight, both trolls laughing breathlessly. 

The playfight only stopped once Maude managed to snatch the crinkled paper, jumping quickly over their cousins shoulder before vaulting off the cot and across the room, feet almost silent on the cold cement. 

“How did you think  _ this  _ was a love note?” Maude asked with a snorted laugh, pushing purple hair out of their face while holding the note up, half scrunched in their hand and laughing at Synth. “It’s literally just Nyx saying he had to go home and that he’d see me in a few days” they added sardonically, shooting their cousin an incredulous look, lowering the note to reread it as if expecting to see the “love note” their cousin thought it was. “P.S. you snore” they read aloud, giggling and finished scrunching the note up, throwing it towards the trash pile with a shake of their head, dark violet hair tickling their bared shoulders, the neck of the oversized shirt they wore wide enough to slip down over both. They moved to sit on the floor, back in the middle of their circle of chaos, waving Synth over with an offering of a datapad. 

“Now, today I need you to go meet the PI I picked out, apparently he’s good friends with a lot of the prison guards and can get in to meet the guys that tried to kill me, he’s also offering to do the job pro bono because I gave his daughter medicine for free” Maude said, flicking the datapad on as Synth huffed and walked over. The screen lit up with a picture of the PI, information of where to find him and even the correspondence Maude had already had with him previously. “I’ve told him I'd pay for the work though”, they added, mumbling the words while they looked through the circle of papers surrounding them for the ones they’d written for Synth, carefully reading the little post it notes stuck to the tops of them.    
  
“These are for him and these ones are information about legal documents that I filed with the courts a month ago naming you the executor of my will and I need you to deliver this batch to the shadow minister of health, he’s on our side” Maude stated, picking up three piles of paper, one a time and handing them to Synth who placed them all in binders and into her bag, looking down at her cousin worriedly. 

“Can you also see if you can get me some scalpels? I don’t…. “ Maude started, trailing off awkwardly, the small purple troll dulling slightly while unable to look up at their cousin, arms wrapping around their middle. “My bad shoulder got busted up again an' I can' hold the crowbar th’guys left here” they admitted quietly, shifting a little in place anxiously before getting a sudden idea, "and pins so I can organise all these papers! I need to put them up, I can tack'em onto th'cardboard boxes Nyx and Ledger stacked to block th'windows" Maude semi rambled.

Synth watched her cousin carefully, the tip of her tail flicking and twitching agitatedly while she shifted closer, the claws on her toes dragging on the cement floor before she crouched down behind them, one hand moving out to rest on Maude's left shoulder, lifting almost immediately when the purple troll hissed in a sharp breath through their gritted teeth. She shifted violet hair away from the others back, twisting the tresses in her fingers so she could see and nearly snarled. "That's going to take months to heal Maude, even with your metal troll genes” she said, voice low and dangerous, wanting nothing more than to go to the prison the perps were being held at and make them pay.   
  
“Eh, it’ll still heal though”, the pop rocker mused, shrugging with their good shoulder, the other only twitching in what must have been pain at the attempt. 

“When was the last time you ate?” Synth asked, changing the subject before it could turn into a fight that neither of them would win, blue on pink eyes narrowing into a sharp glare at her cousins back after noticing them swaying, and hearing the smallest of growls from their stomach. 

“I can’t really rem’ber, I think it was lunch wit’you th’other day” Maude admitted off handedly, distracted again by writing more dot points, copying something from one of the data pads onto the papers surrounding them.   
  
“That was on Monday, it’s already Saturday Maddz” the giantess huffed, claws retracted so she could pinch the bridge of her nose, other hand gesturing agitatedly even though the purple troll couldn’t see it.   
  
“I’ve slept at least” the smaller troll said, as if that made up for the fact they’d forgotten to eat most of the week.    
  
“I’ll pick up some food on my way back”, Synth stated, already starting to poke around in boxes and crates that had been brought in. She found a decent sized kettle and a tiny little microwave and fridge, the two items looking like they were made for teaspoon trolls, but at least they were there, and hopefully functional. “I’m gonna plug these in, and then I'm gonna go” She stated, nudging Maude in the side with her foot, toes curled to keep from scratching the others’ side with her claws.    
  
“Keep th’datapad on ya please, jus’in case I need t’contact you” she heard the other call over their shoulder, followed by the sound of a pen scratching at paper and mumbling, words uttered so fast they were unintelligible to the metal troll. She looked over, always a little surprised by Maude's ability to focus the way they did, but then looked back down at what she was doing, carefully blowing dust out of the sockets that lined the little kitchenette bench next to the bathroom door before plugging the little appliances in. She didn’t bother saying goodbye, purple haired cousin too engrossed in their work to even realise she was still in the basement with them despite their keen ears still swivelling and twitching towards every sound she made. 

She only looked back once, turning to look into the basement before closing the door, a small, concerned frown on her red painted lips.

Only after Maude heard the click of the door did they relax, sagging with a small sigh of relief, good hand moving up to the shoulder Synth had touched, fingers brushing lightly over the skin and sending off flares of pain that told them exactly what they suspected was wrong. They’d torn at least a tendon, bruised the bone and probably ground up the cartilage in the joint… there might even be fractures in the bones. “It's never gonna work the same” they muttered, glaring at the floor, forcing the arm to move while they bit down on their lip, tongue flicking against one of the piercings that adorned it to try and ground themself with the taste of metal while their shoulder burned with pain so bad Maude just wanted to scream. They closed the hand into a tight fist, forcing it down to the ground to try and lift themself up to stand, grunting through the pain even while their head swam.

They didn’t stop until they were off the ground, their shoulder sending flares of pain through their entire torso while their arm burst into the worst case of pins and needles they’d ever felt, so sharp it felt like knives stabbing into their muscles and bones repeatedly. They swayed on the spot, struggling not to fall over and forced their feet to move, one in front of the other until they could lay face first on the cot, muffling their scream of rage and pain in the musty pillow and mattress. The pain was secondary to the rage by that point though, a feral burst of pure hatred burning in the rockers chest after spying on their apartment using the datapad and seeing everything destroyed, bottling it while waiting for their cousin to leave. For years they’d been collecting and cataloging those medical journals, information passed down from doctor to doctor in Pop Village until Maude had expanded into learning about the anatomy and medical history of the other kingdoms post World Tour. 

Their entire collection of medical books had been destroyed, not a single one left, and their entire apartment torn to shreds. They’d even smashed Maude’s furniture, the lounge Maude used to cuddle Synth or Nyx on, smashed into pieces, chunks of stuffing from the cushions spread everywhere and all Maude wanted to do was take a scalpel and… They stopped, forcing themself not to finish that thought, biting their lip as they pushed themself off the bed and towards the boxes the others had brought, needing something to do with their hands while they waited for Synth to come back, or for news, or for anything that wasn’t sitting around useless, abused and hurt in a basement that made them think of dungeons.

By the time the anger had simmered down, pushed to the back of Maude's mind there was nothing left to unpack, everything meticulously pulled out, catalogued and then put away again, neatly, the boxes and crates slid under the bed with everything that had been in them either rearranged or removed. They’d found some protein bars, “chocolate flavoured” and only a few months out of date, but still, they ate one, sitting on the cot with their legs pulled up to their chest, hiding their face in their knees while they chewed, the crowbar sitting beside them on their good side. It was huge and heavy, too big and bulky for Maude’s petite frame and weak arms to use, but it was comforting to have the only weapon in the basement right next to them within grabbing distance. But even so, their purple fingers, turning grey around the edges and fumbling, kept reaching to their hair, searching for the handfuls of scalpels they used to keep in their darkening tresses.


End file.
